New Pope''s envoy jets in

By Juliet Lukwago             

The new Papal Pronuncio to Uganda, Archbishop Michael Blume has arrived in the country to take on his job.

Archbishop Blume was appointed by emeritus Pope Benedict XVI before he resigned as the head of the Catholic Church last February.

Blume, was on Tuesday received at Entebbe International Airport by a powerful delegation from the Catholic Church.
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Archbishop of Gulu, John Baptist Odama(second right),  Micheal Kabuye the counsel to ministry of Inter-affairs, Msgr Edward Kanaan and others looks on. PHOTO BY JULIET LUKWAGO

They included: the chairman of the Episcopal Conference, Archbishop John Baptist Odama of Gulu, Archbishop of Kampala, Dr Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, Msgr Edward Kanaan who has been acting Nuncio since Archbishop Paul Tschang In-Nam left the country.

Msgr John Baptist Kauta, the Secretary General of the Uganda Episcopal Conference also welcomed the new papal representative.

Who is Blume?
 

• Born on August 30, 1946 in South Bend, USA.
• Ordained as priest of Society of the Divine Word on December 23, 1972.
• Professor of Theology at the Regional Seminary in Cape Coast, Ghana from 1975 to 1983.
• Provincial Superior of the Society of Divine Word (S.V.D.) in Ghana, Benin and Togo from 1983 to 1990.
• He was Secretary General of the Society in Rome from 1990 to 1994.
• Since 1995 was Undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People.
• In August 24 2005 was appointed Titular Archbishop of Alexanum.
• He has also served as Apostolic Nuncio to Benin and Togo.
• He holds a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and a Doctorate degree in Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome.
• April 1995 worked at the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, Vatican City.
• April 2000 appointed Under-Secretary of the same Pontifical Council.
• August 2005 appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Benin and Togo.